England could spring a surprise at World Cup due to lack of expectancy

The World Cup is finally here and the four years of waiting is nearly over. The tortuously boring qualifiers are done. The friendlies are nearly over. The big stuff starts on Thursday when Brazil take on Croatia in the opening game of the tournament.

Simple fact of the matter is that every world cup from a fans perspective is the same. You say you’re not interested because England always disappoint, you say you’ll keep half an eye on it… then bang. You’re captivated. The greatest show on earth arrives and you want to absorb every moment of it.

So what are my hopes this summer?

Something different. I want to see a new approach. A glorious outcome even if it is dressed up in failure. The problem with England is we’re all too predictable. We’re usually a million miles off being good enough. However, this year, it’s different. Right?

Probably wrong. We’re not good enough to win the World Cup, but we’re good enough to make the nation proud. I feel like fans are accepting that we can’t win this time around, which is why there’s an excited calm about what’s about to happen.

We have young talent all over the park, we don’t have any of the dross we usually pack for the trip. We have power, we have pace, we have the core of a Liverpool side that destroyed most teams inside two minutes last year. We have a very good base to work from. At the very least, you’d hope we can make an impact on our group. Anything after that will be a bonus.

So what am I looking for from this tournament? Some excitement and a failure wrapped in future potential. We’re not ready to deliver a master class this summer, but we are ready to show the world we’re not a bunch of cloggers.

… accomplish that and we’ve progressed. Buckle up, it’s going to be fun.